Paul Szauter, PhD, Chief Scientific Officer, EquiSeq

Twenty European countries issue patent on EquiSeq DNA tests

ALBUQUERQUE, NEW MEXICO EquiSeq announced today that a group of twenty countries in Europe have issued a patent on EquiSeq’s DNA test for three genetic variants that predispose to muscle disease. The tests are part of EquiSeq’s current DNA panel. Test results allow horse owners to better manage affected horses, and can be used to…

Jeremy Edwards speaks on intellectual property

Jeremy Edwards, Chair of Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology at the University of New Mexico, is one of UNM’s most prolific inventors. Dr. Edwards is part of the EquiSeq science team and is an inventor on two of EquiSeq’s patents. In this interview, Dr. Edwards talks about the importance of protecting intellectual property.

South Africa issues patent on EquiSeq DNA tests

ALBUQUERQUE, NEW MEXICO EquiSeq announced today that South Africa has issued a patent on EquiSeq’s DNA tests for three genetic variants in horses that predispose to muscle disease. The tests are part of EquiSeq’s current DNA panel. Test results allow horse owners to better manage affected horses, and can be used to improve a breeding…

New Zealand issues patent on EquiSeq DNA tests

ALBUQUERQUE, NEW MEXICO EquiSeq announced today that New Zealand has issued a patent on EquiSeq’s DNA tests for three genetic variants in horses that predispose to muscle disease. The tests are part of EquiSeq’s current DNA panel. Test results allow horse owners to better manage affected horses, and can be used to improve a breeding…

Canada issues patent on EquiSeq DNA tests

ALBUQUERQUE, NEW MEXICO EquiSeq announced today that Canada has issued a patent on EquiSeq’s DNA tests for three genetic variants in horses that predispose to muscle disease. The tests are part of EquiSeq’s current DNA panel. Test results allow horse owners to better manage affected horses, and can be used to improve a breeding program…

Genes First!

EquiSeq has released a major revision to the software that powers our website and database. We now present genetic test results starting with the affected gene. Here is an example of the appearance of the new horse profile pages. Figure 1. A horse profile page returning results from EquiSeq. This horse has tested positive for the…

Study of horse genomes explores genetic burden

A team of researchers at the University of Minnesota and the University of California, Davis, have published a landmark study of the predicted genetic burden in horses, based on the analysis of whole genome sequence data from 605 horses (1). They conclude that the genetic load in horses is 1.4 – 2.6 times that of the human population. The authors discuss the unique advantages of the study of horse to understand human phenotypes, especially those associated with athletic performance.

Horse owners have asked us to explain this paper, as it mentions the genetic variants that are in EquiSeq’s panel of DNA tests. Here we review the methods and major findings of this paper. We include background information typically absent from the primary literature in order to make the paper more accessible to non-specialists.

What is PSSM?

Polysaccharide Storage Myopathy (PSSM) is a form of equine exercise intolerance characterized by episodes of tying up. Horses with this condition have a particular set of clinical signs, including displays of pain, refusal to move forward, trouble standing for the farrier, and standing “parked out” as if to urinate. All of these are signs of…

Generatio Scientist Visits EquiSeq

Dr. Melissa Cox, a scientist at Generatio, visited with Chief Scientific Officer Dr. Paul Szauter at EquiSeq’s office in Albuquerque. Dr. Cox was visiting for a friend’s wedding, and made time for a two-hour discussion of scientific work at Generatio GmbH. Dr. Cox reviewed the results of a survey of horse owners exploring symptoms in…

Free Testing for Standardbreds and Haflingers

Albuquerque, New Mexico A collaborative research team assembled by researchers at EquiSeq will end its offer of free testing for Standardbreds and Haflingers on March 31, 2023. The project is aimed at studying the K1 variant of COL6A3, which is present in high frequency in these breeds. The K1 variant affects the structure of collagen…